Southern Michigan Railroad Society
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| Southern Michigan Railroad Society | |
|---|---|
| Reporting marks | SMRS |
| Locale | Michigan |
| Dates of operation | 1985–Present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Clinton, Lenawee County, Michigan |
The Southern Michigan Railroad Society is a non-profit organization in Michigan which operates the Southern Michigan Railroad Museum as well as a heritage railroad.
The museum is located at 320 S. Division Street in Clinton, Michigan.
Contents |
[edit] Society
The Society began as the "Lenawee Area Railroaders", an informal association of railway buffs and modellers. They held monthly gatherings in Tecumseh, Clinton and Adrian, Michigan, and starting in June 1981 they published a newsletter, "The Cross Tracks". They soon learned that Conrail was likely to abandon their Clinton Secondary Track, so in August 1982 they founded the nonprofit Southern Michigan Railroad Society, "to back an attempt by local citizens to purchase and preserve the former New York Central Railroad's Clinton Branch rail line." [1]
The Village of Clinton donated a building to the Society, the former Clinton engine works, adjacent to the railroad. In July 2004, they reached agreement with Conrail to purchase the railroad, for $100,000. [2] The Society's intention was to immediately operate full-size passenger trains. However they expected the Raisin Center crossing (see Railroad below) would be reinstalled for them, but in violation of the existing crossing agreement, this did not happen. But a small "track speeder" motorcar had been donated to the Society, and during Clinton's Fall Festival, they improvised speeder rides for the public. This proved serendipitous. For the next several years, the Society ran a successful passenger service with "track speeders" while they gathered funds to truck in full-size equipment.
[edit] Heritage railroad
The society's heritage railroad owns a 13.5 mile railroad line from Clinton, Michigan, through Tecumseh, Michigan, to Lenawee Junction, Michigan. It operates passenger excursion trains using a variety of railroad equipment including the only GMDH-3 locomotive ever built. It is entirely operated by volunteers.
Between May and October (also December) it operates train rides on two routes. Most trains operate between the towns of Clinton and Tecumseh, however the October trains are "Fall Color Tours", operating south of Tecumseh.
The line was formerly the Palmyra and Jacksonburg Railroad's Jackson Branch.
Most trains operate the 5 miles between the towns of Clinton and Tecumseh. Others, particularly the "Fall Color Tours", operate the 6.5 miles between Tecumseh and Raisin Center, where there is a level junction with the Norfolk Southern Railway (former Wabash) mainline from Detroit to Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Norfolk Southern's predecessor, the Norfolk & Western Railway, removed these crossing diamonds in violation of an existing agreement shortly before the SMRS took possession of the line, and all attempts to have them reinstalled proved fruitless. This isolates the northern 11.5 miles from the national railroad system, forcing equipment to be moved in by truck. The southernmost 2.0 miles run from Raisin Center to Lenawee Junction, an interchange with the freight and passenger Adrian and Blissifield Rail Road.
Notable characteristics of the line include unusual, New York Central "105 lb. Dudley" rail and Bridge 15,[1] a Howe deck truss bridge listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
[edit] Collection
Among the Society's equipment:
- The two Ann Arbor ALCO RS-1 locomotives, #20 and #21. #20 is located in Shepherd, Michigan in static display. Both units are believed to be in operational condition.
- The only General Motors GMDH-3 diesel-hydraulic locomotive ever built. It is operational.
- Two 1920 Chicago South Shore cars, #1 and #36.
- The Ann Arbor passenger coach "Emerald Vale".
- Two cabooses purchased from Conrail (of New York Central and New Haven heritage).
- A large collection of "track speeder" railway motorcars.
[edit] External links
- Southern Michigan Railroad Society Web site
- Photos of Society equipment
- The line's truss bridge
- Map of railroads in Lenawee County
- Data about nonprofit from justgive.org
